Art of launching airships from moorings and device therefor



Nov. 1, 1927.

I 1,647,472 w. v. N. POWELSON ET AL ART OF LAUNCHI'NG AIRSHIPS FROM MO'ORINGS A ND DEVICE THEREFOR Filed Sept. '6. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' 10 i .r l/ AV INVENTORSJ J/V/L Ffi/D :4 IV. PawELso/v WAREZ N T'Rfl VELL Nov. 1, 1927.

- W, V. N. POWELSON ET AL ART OF LAUNCHING- AVIRSHIPS FROM MOORINGS AND DEVICE THEREFOR Filed Sept 6, 1921 2 Sheets-:Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 1,1927. j

wrLFRin v. N. ,Po'WE'Lsoit AND WARREN i-nnvsmgoenhw YORK, N1,

ART or VLAUNCHI-NG Arne-rifles r'noivr Mooisri e's Ann DEVICE 'r ii'tienntolt'f Application filed This invention relates to improvements" in the art of launching s-i r'ships from moor and devices therefor.

been no meens provided for definitelyfztnd accurately determining whether the upward and downward forces acting on an airship are properly distributed previous tofits setting forth on a fiightfrom mooring; /Vith eirships of small size," it has been customary to handle them during housing operations by means of a large numberot men on'the'.

ground, but with the increase in theirsize this handling hymn power is being su'per seded by mechanical mooring devices such as t owers and guy linesystems. The hen- V dlingot airships by men on the ground provided a rough means for distributed, but even this rough check is lacking when launched i i-om tower or'guy lines. 7 When the head end of an airship'is attached to a tower, the ship may be float- 111g in a horizontal position with the appear.-

- ance of having the Vertical forces in balance,'and at the same tiinejtheremay be a considerable vertical force acting between the head end of the, airship andthe'tower lilreleased from the tower under such an unbalanced condition, one end may fall-to the V 7 ground, resulting in damage or'destruction of'the airship. lhlSfiIlObJGCt'Qf this inventowers or by guy lines, the determination of the'relative positions of the centers ot bu'oya ancy and gravity i eccording to the IIIVntion to provide-means by which'to obviate stance on boardso that the center of buoy-V- an'cy and center of gravity come into; ver

tical relation while the ship i's moored 'with its axis horizontal. When these are so 10- cated an airship on be'ino released from its mooring will rise-on even reel ;-but whenpnot so located, there will bje a turning movement causedby the vertical forces which will cause the craft to rotate in a'verticalplanefwithits longitudii'ial axis approaching the vertical.

'When an eirshipis moored between two September ii g i V determining 7 Whether the vert cal forces were properly;

6; i921! sem i36 498366,

tion, accomplished by means of t'e'nsion meas- I uring devices, incorporated in two approxi I g I inately vertical lines tastened to the airship In the art, as heretofore practiced there has adistance apart longitudinally, prefer ably at or ne'er its ends. meensfofsu'ch ured. Knowing the location of the center of buoyrancy, and attachingthese two verdevices, the diflierence between the vertical torces'acting on theairship may bemeae,

tical lines to the airship at points'eqinilly distant therefrom, the center of buoyancy will be over theaters]: of grav ty when the tension in tiese 'twolines has become equal, if, on limiting: the measurement, they erei'iot y equal, weights on board should be'shifted,

until these two tensile stresses are .tl'ius equalized. It the po nts of attachment of these lines to the ship are not equidistant from the center of buoyancy, the tensile stresses in them should become inversely as buoyancy.

their respective distances from the center or" i.

7 it is. possible to arrive at thisconditioniof equilibrium whenthe airshipis moored to a single tower sndiby the use otonly one tension-ineasuring device. If the bow 'of the ship is closely attachedto the 'towe'iygthe fastening line'is paidout a Stone en e. The ship will take a position atan" angleto the horizontal whichwill vary according to "the relative amounts of the unloalanced'ver tical forces and the horizontel forces (such as windpre's'sure) acting uponjthe airship. By shiftingof weights on boz' rd the. ship" may he changed to floating with it's'jlongitudi ial axis ilior zontal. Assuming this done, and that its centerbfhuoyancy is at j its center of length, a vertical line isv a'ttaehed to the bow with meajnslfor measuring 9-; v. v the tension therein. lit this line; the boljw is then pulled down until thetowerett ch-- ment line is horizontal and therefore is trensmitting" no vertical 's'tres't'es' sion in the vertical lin'eis then the-indication thereof noted stern of the vessel is tied'by I I H 7 point beneath. Ballast oroth weight are then shifted on board untilthe tensioii in the vertical how line is one-h r Q ered. The center of, buoyancy "the center of gravity; an 2 t1 previous separate moored between two towersshown diagramn atically at 2 2". 1 311168118, havingctension scales 14 attach the tractor to the" cruiser" 7 7 and lines 17, also equipped with tension scales l4, tie the cruiser to fixed points beneath. PTGVIOUS to lainiching, weights are shifted on both crafts until itis determinedby means of the tension scales that the verccndition when later on duringvv flight they are separated. I c

' airship, such-as mooring towers and rne'asur- V computation ascertaining 't-ic'al forces acting on each vessel are properly distributed, not only to insure flotation with seven l zeel while connected together, but also to, insure the same saie operating,

The invention may be applied, in its vv broader aspects, either by shifting ballast and cargo, to change the position d the center of grav1ty, or by shifting gas to change the center of buoyancy. Ballast and gas are shifted with aid of suitable ductsandpuinps on board. Under ordinary circu'instan'ces location of the center of buoyancyinay be ascertainable by computation 1 andobseryatlon more-easily than the locatlon of the centerof grav ty, because 1t: re-' sults troina fewllarge gas spaces of easily ascertalnable POSltlOlifJiClVVOlUIIlG. But v11 Y the; cent-re, of gravity be known the apparatus of the nvent on canbe used in 0011- nection wi h a shifting buoyancy on the re- ]versed application of the, principles used .in

the tore 'oing example; 7 li Vhenan airship having ner-than-airf gas is as whole heavier than air, t maybe desirable to resort to the corresponding use of thetension devices llafelHClGSCllbGCl by making connections 7 from endsot the ship to pointspabovel the.

ing or comparing the tension therein, and by he vertical forces. life claim as our invention: l V y 1. The combination, with an airship floating in Hit-,ELIlCl haying'its center ofigravity vertically under, its center of buoyancy, of;

a vertical tie to the ground forward of centres; a vertical tie to the ground aftjof said centres; and indicating means-whereby tl1 tel'lSl0l1'lIl"S&l:(Il ties is determined to-be inversely proportional to the horizentaldis-v 'tances of thesaid ties from the verticalline of said centres." x 2. Launch ng GQLUPIHS ILQ lfiGiHCllIig gt-he combination, with an' airship moored tea tower, rot a tie extending to a distance ijronr the tower and there holdlng one end of the ship; a vertical tie frornvsaid end of the ship to; a, fixedv point below, wherebythe said end is held; so low that the stressinthe first ment oned tie is free. from ert cal component;

and means to" incin rated tensicn in said- ;'-ve ;t cal.. t1e. i, 1. a

the ship.

3. In equipment for launching a moored airsl1ip',means"to deteriniin'e'the Vertical force exerted by the: inoored end ofthe'ship'; a vertical tie from the other i end 'of the ship to a fixed pcintbelow-ityan'd means to indi cate'the change in said vertical force result-.

froin change of relation vbetween the center ofbnoyancy and the center of gravity of the ship. i I

4. The combination, witha'nioored airship havingits axis in launching'trirn, of a for" ward verticaltieot the ship to the ground;

an aft verticaltie of the ship to the, ground; one. of said ties belng free from slac'kiandj also free from tension; and atenslon' indicating' devicein the other ofxsai'd ties;

5 The combination, with a moored air; ship having" its axis in launching trim, of means to detect presence of an upward force of the ship at its moored end;. a vertical tie of the-ship'tothe ground? at its other ZQIICl, 1 free iroin slack and also free fromc tension; V and means to indicate the increaseof ten- ,sionwhi'ch results, in-said tie, from. alteration of? thedistributiOn of matter on board the ship. a

. 6.- In equipment for launching anairshi'pi. i

two: towers j adapted to moor the head and tail of a ship floating in theair a connection between thegforward body. of the airship and a fixed point at a lower; elevation;

a connection'between the 'atter'body of the 1 airship and a second fixed po int atalower elevation; means for exerting-a pull in both of. said connections; and v ne'ans for -1ndi-,

eating the change 01.. tension in at least one of said connections ,c0nseqnent--up0n the alteration of distribution oflrna'tt'er on' board V 7. 111 ,equip, ient for'l aunching a cruising" aircrathheavier than the air displaced there i by, on its flight from amooringthec-ombination of an. auxiliary aircraft. having a'lifting power greater, than that. required; for; supporting; itself in the, air, means for .at-

tachingsaid auxiliary aircrafttosaid cruisev ing aircrafa'means for indicating-the ten-:- sion in sa d attachment means, meansfor attaching the cruiser airc'raftf to, ifix edfpoints at a l0werfelevat1on and means 'for 1nd1-- ward vertical tie of the ship tothe ground eating the tension in said lattenattachme'nt 'means; 7 g V 8. -The combination.jwith a moored airship having its" axisin launching trim, of a foran'aftyertical tiefof the ship to the ground i and. meansfordeterininingwhen said ties have their respective tensronsanvemely pro portional; to their respective-distances "from:

the center ofbuoyancy oftheship,

9. The. combination Wltl'l an alrshipjio t ship is in a position-ever thecenterQi-i gra equipment for la ii1chingit-tr0in its moorcomprising n eansf for-detern11ning v whether thecenter of buoyancy ofsaljd air-.1 30 p ity thereof, said means comprising two flexible connections from the airship, each to a fixed point at lower elevation, arranged to hold the airship in launching trim, and a device for indicating the tension in one of said connections.

10. The combination with an airship of equipment for launching it from its moor ing, comprising means for determining whether the center of buoyancy of said airship is ina position over the center of gravity thereof, said means comprising two flexible connections from the airship to two fixed points at lower elevations arranged to hold the airship in launching trim, and a device in each said connectionfor indicating the tension therein.

11. The combination with an aircraft of equipment for launching it from its moorplaces for attachment thereof at lower elevations, arranged to hold the aircraft in its launching trim, and means for mdicating the tension in at least one of said ties; the 'sa1d sh p, its mooring, andthat one of its.

said two ties Whichis toward the mooring being arranged so that themooring carries the whole of the horizontal'stress and the said tiev associated therewith carries the whole of the vertical stress at the end of the ship which is moored.

12. In equipment for launching an airship from a position between two mooring towers when said airship is heavier than the air which it displaces, the combination of an auxiliary aircraft capable of exerting an upward pull on said airship, flexible connections between this auxiliary aircraft and the airship, two flexible connections between the respective ends of said airship and two fixed points at lower elevations. than said ends, and separate means for in-dicatingthe ten sion in these two connections :to the ends of the airship. V V i 13. The combination with a mooring tower of apparatus for launching an airship which is lighter than the air displaced thereby, comprising a fiexible connection between the airship at a point toward its for- Q ward end and a fixed point at a lower elevation; a flexible connection between the airship at a point toward its rear end and a start its flight with'its center of buoyancy over its center of gravity; 1

ship is lifted on its flight in a state of hori- Zontal equilibrium.

15. In equipment for launching an air craft, heavier than the air displaced thereby, on its flight from a mooring, the combination-with said aircraft of an aux'liary airship having a llftmg power greater than' that required for supporting itself in the air; means for attachlng said auxiliary airship to said aircraft and for detaching it therefrom; means for indicating the tension in said attachment means; means for attaching said aircraft to fixed points at lower elevations; and means for indicating the tension in said latter attachment means; whereby it may be determined whether the vertical forces acting on said airship and said aircraft are properly distributed-to insure safe launching of the aircraft.

16. In equipment for launching from a mooring tower an airship which is heavier than the air displaced thereby, the combination of an auxiliary aircraft having a lifting power in excess of that required for its own'support in the air, flexible connectionsbetween the auxiliary aircraft and the airship whereby the auxiliary aircraft may lift the airship in the launching thereof, and means for indicating the tensionin said connections for determining whether the vertical forces acting on the airship are properly distributed to insure its safety during the launching operation.

17 The combination with an aircraft tethered to a mooring of means for eliminating from its tethering line all stresses having vertical components, including means for attaching said aircraft in its launching trim to fixed points at lower elevations and for detaching it therefrom, and means for indi; cating the stress in said attachmentmeans, whereby it may be determined whether the vertical forces acting on said, aircraft are properly distributed to insure the safe launching thereof. 1 f l i 18. In equipment for launching an airship when floating in the air'and moored by guy lines, the combination with" the airship and its guy lines, of means separating the horiaontal mooring stresses from the vertical mooring stresses and means applicable to the vertical stresses whereby it may be determined whether the centerof buoyancy of the" airship is over its center of gravity.

19. Apparatus for putting an airship into trim for flight from a'mooring, comprising the combination With the head end mooring tie for the ship of a vertical tie for the ship near the end thereof Where the mooring tie is attached',, and a vertical tie for the ship near the other end of the ship; the said Vertioal ties having each such lengththat the mooring tie runs horizontally When they are taut; and the said vertical ties each containing a tension indicating means Within fe'cts of Wind forces on the-ship and all vertical components of the stress inthe mooring V tie are eliminated. I

Signed at New York, N .'Y., this first day I of July, 1921.

i WILFRID -v. N. POWELSON. WARREN TBAVELL- a 

